Press timer



March 20, 192.8.

- 1,663,527 H. A. STODDARD PRESS TIMER Filled Feb. 6, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q "w: Q :x- N K l h N lo N N \J\ a u l'- Y R I aw j h "C @a l d g fb INVENTOR TTORNEYS March 20, 1928.

H'arl A. .sfo olalaro T oRNEYs H. A. STODDARD March 20, 1928.

PRESS TIMER Filed Feb. 6, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIA INVENTOR Harb lq. 5 a cclorrcl BY W ATTORNEYS lhiented Mar. zo, 1928.

UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HART A. STODDARD, OF SAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE PROSPERITY COMPANY,

POBATION OF NEW YORK.

INC., F SYRACUSE, NEW `YORK, A. COR- PRESS TIMER.

Application med February e, 1925. serial No. 7,255.

in my application Serial lNumber 714,130

as liled May 17, 1924, by providing an electric timer to terminate the pressing period at the end of a predetermined time.

A main object of the invention is to produce a power pressing machine having imi proved timing mechanism whereby the compression period is regulated at will by the operator in order that work of various kinds may be treated for short or long pressing per riods as desired.

Among other things, an objectis to provide a pressing machine motor starting mechanism for opening a pressing machine by starting a stopped motor. l/Vhile it is understood that any appropriate mechanism, such as a clutch or other suitable means, may be used, I have illustrated a stop and start motor with an electric timer mechanism and the timer mechanism may itself be driven by clockworks or any other suitable means. In my invention, it is usually the custom for the press operator to manually start the press to operating which continues until maximum pressure is reached whereupon the motor either stops itself or a clutch is caused to Iautomatically disengage. The press-then stands under pressure for a predetermined time when a constant speed device, adjustable as to time, acts to again start the motor which opens the press. Further objects of the invention will be disclosed as the descriptionismade and the accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of the invention sutiicient to eX- plain the principle thereof and its inode of operation.

Figures l and 2 show a timing mechanism capable of being regulated and reset at will by the operator to render long or short the compression'periods on the work.

Figure l shows a front view in partial section and partial elevation with a part of the cover broken away to show the internal mechanism thereof from the front as well as showing.,r the dial-like indicating means 5o by which the operator may change the setting of the timer to regulate the length of the compression period. y

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a side elevation of a presslng machine together with motor means and the timer mounted thereon.

Figure 4 illustrates a composite wiring diagram and the motor parts comprising a o0 pressing machine.

A description will first be given of the electric timer unit which is driven by a constant sneed device and its operation in general will necessarily .be alluded to for an understanding of its structure and mode of operation.

The timer unit.

The timer selected to illustrate the principle of this invention is designed for the purpose of making and breaking an electric current for stopping and starting motor means such as an electric motor for imposing final pressure between the pressing or iron- 15 ing jaws. The timerv necessarily'incorporates a constant speed mechanism for driving a timed switch arm into contact with binding posts at the end of a predetermined elapsed pressing period, and clockworks or 30 other suitable" means are employed as a constant speed device for swinging a switch arm through a predetermined distance covering a certain period of time which starts the motor means and causes it to open the power press. The opening motion of the press is employed for moving another arm for breaking the circuit to stop the motor at the end of the opening cycle.

A timer casing 7 is provided with a cover- 90 ing 8 to enclose the operating parts and a plunger 9 is reciprocably confined in the casing 7 in top and bottom slotted openings 10 formed in the casing. The lower end of the plunger is preferably made with a c5 fork 11 or other means by which it may be connected with some moving part as the power lever 70 of the press to be hereinafter described. The plunger'is guided in its up and down motion within a bearing block 12 which carries a threaded shank 13 which projects through a slotted guide opening 14 made in the cover 8. The screw threaded shank 13 is fitted with an indicating pointer 15 together with a nut 16.' The nut may be tightened up against the indicator 15 thereby drawing the block 12 tightly against the inner cover 8 of the casing 7 to hold the plunger 9 in proper adjusted relation with reference to a scale marked olf in terms of seconds on the cover as seen in Figure 1. y

A pair of electrical binding or Contact posts 19 are anchored in the casing 7 by insulating bushings 20 and a current lead wire 21 connects to one binding post as well as another lead wire 22 connecting with the other binding post. One of the lead wires as 21 is adapted to be connected to a current main line as 23 such as shown in Figure 4, while the otherwire 22 is adapted to be connected to a combination manually and automatically operated switch as hereinafter described.

The purpose of theptimer is to connect the wires 21 and 22 through the binding posts 19 at one stage of the operation to open a press or perform other work at the end of a certain elapsed time. A swinging switch arm 25 has one end fixed to a clockwork constant speed shaft 26 while the outer end thereof carries an insulating block 27 upon which is anchored a spring contact blade 28 which is in alignment with the contact posts 19. When the outer end of the arm 25 swings upwardly, it follows that the contact blade 28 engages the posts 19 thereby closing the circuit through the wires 21 and 22. Similarly when the arm 25 is caused to move downwardly, the contact blade 28 temporarily retains spring pressed engagement with the posts 19 until sutlicientforce is brought to bear as hereinafter explained as will instantly pull the blade 28 out of engagement with the posts 19 to break the circuit. The switch arm 25 is made with a long shoulder lug 29 by which the switch arm is forcibly pulled downwardly a short or long distance to start the automatic timing device in operation as will be explained.

The plunger 9 already described is disposed vertically in the casing 7 and adjacent to the shoulder lug 29. The plunger 9 is made with a slot 31 in which a bob 32 is pivotally mounted on a pin 33 and the bob is adapted to swing freely in the slot 31 and seek a normal position by reason of its weighted end 34 and a stop pin 35 may be employed to cause the bob 32 to stand in normally inoperative position as shown. The upper end of the bob 32 is provided with a hook 36 which is caused to stand in the pathA of the shoulder 29 by the bob weight 34. The bob 32 is made with an inan inclined face 38 of a lengthwise rib 39 made on the inside of the cover 8 and which rib is substantially equal in length to the slot 14 in the cover in order that the bob 32 may coact or engage the rib 39'regardless of the position occupied by thev plunger. Likewise the shoulder lug 29 is about equal in length to the slot 14and rib 39 in order that the hook 36 engage the shoulder 29 at any position therealong at which the plunger may be set.l It is understood that the plungver 9 is adapted to be laterally displaced and adjusted from time to time by setting it to the right or to the left and causing the indicator 15 to occupy a new position along the indicating scale which is laid out in terms of seconds upon the cover 8. As further explained later on, the hook 36 is adapt. ed to be tilted out of alignment of the switch arm shoulder 29 when the plunger 9 is drawn down by an operating part of the pressing machine. When the plunger 9 returns to its upper normal position, the rounded nose of the hook 36 passes the rounded corner of the shoulder 29 and the bob 34 causes the hook 36 to swing back in alignment with this switch arm shoulder 29 and there stand in readiness for the next operation.

The shaft 26 which carries the switch arm 25 fixed thereon is connected with clockworks 40 and this shaft is adapted to be slowly rotated by the clockworks and a clockwork spring 41 is shown diagrammatically in Figure 1 with the inner end of the spring connected to the shaft 26 and the ,clined face 37 which is adapted to engage` outer end of the spring is anchored to the casing 40 as is common with ordinary clockworks. A ratchet wheel 42 is fixed on the shaft 26 and a main clockwork gear 43 is mounted from free rotation upon the shaft 26 and a dog 44 is pivotally mounted on the main gear 43 and engages the ratchet wheel 42 which serves to connect together the main gear 43 and the shaft 26 when this shaft is subjected to counter-clockwise rotation by the unwinding force ofthe spring 41. The main gear 43 engages a pinion 45 which is fixed to an escapement shaft 30 projecting into the clockwork casing 40 and which shaft drives an escapement mechanism in the clock to retard the unwinding speed of the spring 41 thereby causing the switch arm 25 to travel upwardly at a\c`npara tively slow rate. The time required for the switch arm 25 to carry the contact blade 28 upwardly to engage the contact posts 19 is regulated to any desired predetermined time7 in order that the period of pressure on the work between press jaws be prolonged or maintained for the time desired as will he hereinafter more fully described. The switch arm 25 is always free to be driven upwardly under the iniluence of the clock mechanism and its spring 41 when the lplunger 9 is down, which it is durin the time that the pressing machine is cosed. It is required that the clock mechanism stand inoperative but wound up in order that the clockworks be ready to drive the switch arm 25 up when the press is closed.

Means are provided for locking the clockwork mechanism against movement so as to hold the switch arm 25 down in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the means for t-his consists in a switch driving arm 46 freely mounted on ashaft 47 which shaft is supported in ears or bearings 48. An arcuate shoulder gap 49 is made concentric with the shaft 47 in the arm 46 and a pin 50 is anchored to a switch arm disc 51 which is anchored to the shaft 47 and the pin 50 is movably confined in the gap 49. This construction permits the switch driving arm 46 to move freely through a limited distance about the shaft 47 without engaging the disc 51 but the shoulder gap 49 and pin 50 establishes a connection between the arm 46 and shaft 47 for the purpose of operating the switch arm 25 as will be seen. The switch arm disc 51 is made with a shoulder 52 which is adapted to engage a shoulder 53 integral with the switch arm 25 thereby establishing a working relation between the two arms 46 and 25. A spring 54 establishes a flexible relatively movable connection between the disc 51 and arm 46 for the purposel of normally confining the pin to the left hand side of the shoulder gap 49.

rThe reader will by now understand that the purpose of the timed switch arm 25 is to slowly carry the contact blade 28 upwardly to close the circuit through the wires 21 and 22 which operation is carried out for the purpose of starting the pressing machine motor to operate so as to remove the jaw compression and open the press at the end of a predetermined period, and said predetermined period is obtained by virtue of the fact that the arm 25 requires a predeterinined elapsed time to reach the contact posts 19 so as to close the circuit and start a inotor. It now becomes necessary to break the circuit so as to stop said motor, and this is accomplished by pulling the switch arm 25 downwardly so as to disengage the contact blade 28 from the contact posts 19 and such disengagement is accomplished by the arm 46 working against the pin 50 to cause the contact shoulder 52 to impinge the switch arm shoulder 53. It is to be understood that, when the switch arm 25 is up (the plunger 9 being down) that the arm 46 is free to gravitate downwardly by its own weight which permits the disc 51 and pin 50 to swing clockwise thereby withdrawing the shoulder 52 away from the shoulder 53. As the switch arm 25 is driven upwardly by the clockworks, the shoulder 53 will approach and bear against the shoulder 52 thereby causing the pin 50 to move freely in the shoulder gap 49 from the left-hand end of the gap to the right-hand end thereof, and thus the pin 50 will bear against the shoulder at the right-hand end of the gap 49 which fixes the arm rigidly to the shaft 49 which said arm 46 is down and ready to start upwardly.

But when the plunger 9 is drawn downwardly the hook 36 picks up the shoulder lug 29 of thc switch arm 25 thereby arresting any upward travel tendency of the switch arm 25 and pulling it back to a predeter mined fixed position as regulated by the position of the plunger 9 in the cover slot 14 a-t some particular number of seconds as indicated on the seconds scale on the cover. When the plunger 9 goes down sufficiently far, the bob 32 strikes the lrib 39 thereby causing the hook 36 to disengage from the shoulder 29 which frees the switch arm 25 to travel upwardly the entire distance until the contact blade 28 has connected. the contact posts 19 to close the circuit through the wires 21 and 22. When the plunger 9 pulls the switch arm 25 downwardly, it follows that the clockwork spring 41 is rewound thereby restoring its power foi the next operation.

When the switch arm 25 reaches its uppermost position as just described, the circuit is closed through the wires 21 and 22 thereby starting a motor in operation which operates some suitable mechanism, as for example, a pressing machine to be described, thereby causing the plunger 9 to travel upwardly and return to that position shown in Figures 1 and 2 until such time as a shoulder 56 integral with the plunger 9 engages the arm 46 causing it to be swung upwardly which drives against the pin 5() (now in the right band side of the gap 49) thereby causing the disc 51 to be forcibly rotated counter-clockwise which causes the shoulder 52 to impinge the shoulder 53 thereby applying clockwise torque to the shaft 26 which torque builds up until it accun'iulates sufficiently to very quickly jerk the contact blade 28 from the post-s 19 thereby promptly breaking the circuit through wircs 21 and 22 which stops an electric motor means from further operation.

When the switch arm 25 went down, as just described, the rounded corner of the hook 36 slid past the round edge of the shoulder 29 of the switch arm 25 thereby again causing the hook 36`to assume a position above the shoulder 29 as shown in F 1g ures 1 and 2. The position of all parts are now normally restored for the next time controlled operation.

The pressing machine.

A description will now be givenof a conventional type pressing machine with which the improved timer' may be combined for the purpose of controlling the duration of the pressing period.

A press frame 59 supports a lower pressing jaw member or buck 60 whichreceives pressure from a head 6l. The pressing jaws 60 and 6l are open and closed by any suitable mechanism and in this instance a press lever 62 is pivoted at 63 on the frame 59 for opening and closing the press jaws. The rear end of the press lever pivotally supports a link 64 suspended on a pivot pin 65 and the lower end of the link is fitted with a lifting pin 66 which is confined in a slot 67 made in a link 68. rl`he lower end of the link 68 is pivoted at 69 to a power lever 7 0 which is itself pivoted on.l the press frame at 7l. When the long end of the power lever is pressed downwardly, force is transmitted upwardly through the straightened links 64 and 68 to impose compression between the jaws 60 and 6l.

A lean bar 72 has its lower end pivoted on the pin 71 and its upper weighted end pivotally attached at 73 to the link 64 and the angular position of the lean bar 72 together with the weight thereof continuously urges rearwardly and to the left against the links 64 and 68 which tends to swing them outwardly, and this outward motion is accomplished by reason of the pin 66 sliding along the slot 67 as the link 68 swings downwardly thereby permitting a counterbalance weight 74 carried by the rear end of the press lever to cause the head 61 to lift high above the buck.

An electric motor 75 is supported on the frame and drives a crank arm 76 through suitable gearing enclosed within a housing 77. A roller 73 may be confined on the crank arm 76 for frictionless engagement with the outer upper end and edge of the power lever 7 O. The crank arm 76 is driven with great force comparatively slowly to thrust downwardly on the front end of the power lever after the operator has drawn the head 61 down by pulling on a handle 79 and thus the rear end of the lever 70 thrusts upwardly through the links 64 and 65 to impose j aw compression.

lt is necessary to drive the crank arm 7 6 through 180 degrees travel and to stop it either in upper or lower' position for the purpose of first imposing jaw compression and thereafter for releasing it. While an automatically disengaging clutch may be used if desired for rotating the crank arm through i 180 degrees as aforesaid and thereby enabling the manufacturer to use a continuously running motor, I have in the present disclosure illustrated a stop and start motor for this purpose, and a combination manually and automatically operated switch 8O is employed for enabling the operator to manually start the motor and thereafter the machine stops itself. The time switch 7 hereinbefore described is for starting the motor when jaw compression has existed for a predetermined time.

A switch blade 80 is made with a bell crank arm 8l to which is fixed a pin 82 and this pin is confined in a slot 83 in one end of a rod 84. The lower end of this rod 84 is pivotally connected at 85 to the aforesaid power lever 70. -A manually operable push rod handle 86 is connected with the switch blade 8O by which the operator closes the switch 80 thereby feeding current to the m0- tor 75 from wires 87, 88 and 89 which connect across the two sides of a circuit mam 23-90.

When the operator closes the switch 80, the crank arm 76 and roller 78 drives 'down wardly on the power lever 70 to move it from uppermost position shown in Figure 4 and as this movement takes place, it follows that the pull rod 84 jerks the switch 8O open thereby causing the motor 75 to stop with the crank arm 76 down as in Figure 3. Since the downward motion of the power lever 70 functions to stop the motor 75, it follows that pressure is maintained between the jaws 60 and 6l until such time as the motor is again started in operation to release the upward thrust existing through the links 64 and 68 to allow the press to open automatically, and the time switch 7 heretofore described is employed for that purpose. A spring 57 serves to continuously draw upwardly on the power lever 70 thereby keeping the roller 78 in contact with the lever.

Timer and press assembly.

The time switch 7 heretofore described is mounted on the press frame in any suitable position and is adapted to be automatically operated by its constant speed clockwork at the end of a certain pressing duration to again' start the motor to open the press. The opening movement of the press is translated back to the timer to automatically break the same circuit which it had previously closed. To these ends, the wire 22 already described connects through the switch blade 80 with the wire 88 running to the motor 75 in order that the circuit be completed to the motor 75 through the time switch 7 and the switch 80. A mechanical connection in the form of a link 92 has its upper end connected to the aforesaid plunger 9 and has its lower' end connected to the power lever 70 as by a pin 93. Thus the power lever 70 is adapted to cause the link v92 to reciprocate the plunger 9 upwardly at one time to break the circuit 21-22 at the end of the upward movement of the crank arm 76, while this same rod 92 is adapted to draw the plunger 9 downwardly at another time to set the time switch 7 in operation. The switch 80 is always used by the operator to initiate the final pressure while the rod 84 serves to stop the motor thereby leaving the press under said final pressure. The timer 7, and its switch arm 25, is for the sole purpose of removing final pressure and stopping the motor after said pressure is removed.

Joint press and timer operation.

Assuming that the pressing machine is open, the operator spreads the work upon the lower jaw 60 whereupon he draws the head jaw 61 downwardly into the neighborhood of the work. The operator must hold one hand on the handle 79, else if he does not,

the head 61 quickly moves away from the work by virtue ot' the weight 74. vWhile holding the head 6l down with one hand, the operator throws the switch 80 in by the push rod 86 with the other hand. This action by the operator closes the circuit 87-89 through the motor 75 causing it to run whereupon the crank arm 76 travels downwardly from position Figure 4 to position Figure 3, and when the power lever reaches Figure 3 position the pull link 84 jerks open the switch 80 to stop the motor thus leaving the press standing under pressure. l

It is to be remembered that when the press was open, the switch arm 25 of the timer 7 was held ont ofengagement with the binding posts 19 so as not to prematurely start the motor, and the switch arm is thus held away from the Vpost 19 by reason of the fact that the hook 36 would not let the shoulder 29 pass thereby and so the switch arm 25 may not, while the press is open, travel upwardly under the power of the clockwork 40.

However, when the operator did close the switch 80, it followed that the link 92 pulled the plunger 9 all the way down whereupon the bob 32 impinged the rib 39 which released the hook 36 from the lug 29 thereby leaving free the switch arm 25 to travel upwardly through its entire distance and consuming an elapsed period of time in doing so, the time being say five, fifteen, twenty or any other suitable number ofseconds as selected on the dial shown in Figure 1. lt is also to be noted that when the switch 80 was manually closed thereby causing the plunger 9 to move downwardly, that the arm 46 in the timer 7 also moved downwardly so as not to permit its shoulder 52 to interfere with the ensuing upward timed travel ofthe switch arm 25.

Now that the press is closed with high pressure applied thereto by virtue of the position of parts being such as is shown in `igure 8, it is in order for the press operator to go away from the machine and give it no further attention until the timer automatically causes the press to open. When the power lever 70 traveled downwardly thereby drawing thelink 92 and plunger 9 downwardly which action released the switch arm 25, it followed that the clockworks 40 caused the switch arm 25 to start' traveling upwardly for a. certain length of time until the circuit 21-22 is closed thereby again starting the motor which 'by the way had previously been stopped by virtue of the fact that the link 84 had disengaged the switch when the power lever 70 reached its lowermost position Figure 3. The opening cycle of the press ensures until the plunger shoulder 56 impinges the throw oil arm 46 to' thrust downwardly the switch arm 25 which again breaks the circuit 21-22.

The operator may change the setting of the plunger at any time he desires by loosening up the nut 16 and sliding the block 12 to the right or left until the desired number of seconds is indicated by the pointer 15. Assuming that the pointer 15 is set over to the left to indicate 25 seconds it follows that the plunger 9 is likewise moved over to the left with the result that the hook 36 will take hold of the switch arm 25 at a point closer to the shaft 26 thereby causing the same distance vof travel of t-he plunger 9 to travel, it must follow that a .longer pressing period elapses before the jaws 60 and 6l will open.

This pressing machine having a time controlled opening means is especially useful because it releases the operator to manage other machines and it follows that one operator can care for several pressing machines.

lVhat I claim is:

l. A pressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating pressing jaws, means for closing the jaws, motor means eooperating with the closing means to produce jaw compression, starting means to initiate the motor means, means to,actuate the starting means to stop the motor` leaving the press under compression, timer means to automatically start the motor means at the end of a predetermined pressing period to release the compression, and means to again stop the motor means at the end of the releasing` operation.

2. A pressing machine comprising in combination cooperating pressing jaws, means for manually closing the jaws, motor means cooperating with the closing means to produce jaw compression, starting means to initiate the motor means, means to open the press in case the operator should remove the manual closing force therefrom prior to acmotor means, means to actuate the starting means to stopt-he motor leaving the press under compression, timer means to automatically startthe motor means at the end of a predetermined pressing period to release the compression, means to again stop the motor means at the end of the releasing operation, and an adjustment means to vary the duration of the timer means.

.4. A pressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating pressing jaws, means for manually closing the jaws, motor means cooperating with theclosing means to produce jaw compression, starting means to initiate the motor means, means to open the press in case the operator should remove the manual closing force therefrom prior to actuating the start-ing means', means to actuate the starting means to stop the motor leaving the press under compression, timer means to automatically start the motor means at the end of a predetermined pressing period to release the compression, means to again stop the motor means at the end of the releasing operation, and adjustment means to vary the duration of the timer means.

5. A pressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating pressing jaws, means for manually closing the jaws, means pulling the jaws open in case the manual closing force is discontinued prior to complete closing, a motor cooperating with the jaws t-o produce compression, electric switch means to stop and start the motor, connecting lever means established between the 4motor and the jaws,- a starting handle connected with the electric switch means by which the operator iirst starts the motor with one hand while holding the press closed with the other hand, a connection established between the electric switch means and the lever means by which the motor is automatically stopped to leave the jaws under compression, atimer circuit closer automatically operating to again start the motor at the end of a predetermined compression period, and a connection established between the timer circuit closer and connecting lever means to actuate the timer subsequently to its automatic operation- 6. A pressing machine comprising in combination, cooperating press jaws, closing means therefor,` a motor to produce jaw compression, an electric switch to start the motor at the will of the operator to produce jaw compression, means to automatically open the switch to stop the motor to leave the press under'compression, another switch and electric connections therefrom to the motor, a timed means adapted to close the last switch to again start the motor to release jaw compression, and means for o ening the last switch by the operation o the press to stop the motor after the press opens.

7. A pressing machine comprismg in combination, cooperating pressin jaws, jaw closing means, a motor to pro uce pressure, a switch in the motor circuit and a handle to close the switch, means to open the switch after the motorproduces compression, a time controlled switch in parallel with the -iirst switch, a switch arm embodied'in the ltime controlled switch to again start the motor, means serving to drive the switch arm to close the switch after an elapsed eriod of time, time regulating means there or, and a mechanically operated device for returning the switch arm to open circuit position.

8. A pressing machine comprising in combination, pressing jaws, a power lever connected with one ofthe jaws, a motor adapted to operate the power lever, a circuit connection established with the motor, two switches in parallel in the'circuit, means arranged to manually close one switch and means to thereafter open it by a power operated portion of the press, means to thereafter close the other switch at the end of a xed time, and means operated by a power operated portion of the press to open the last named switch. V

9. A timing mechanism in combination with a pressing machine, comprising pressing jaws, means to open and close the pressing jaws, an electric motor to produce pressure between the jaws, a switch to start and stop the motor,a second switch in parallel with the first switch, a switch arm for Said second switch to start the operation of the motor, independent power lmeans to drive the switch arm to closed circuit position, and means actuated by the motor to return the switch arm to open circuit position.

10. A timing mechanism in combination with a pressing machine, comprising pressing jaws, means to open and close the pressing jaws, an electric motor to produce jaw pressure, a switch to start and stop the motor, a second switch in parallel with the first switch, a switch arm for said second switch to start the operation of the motor, independent power means to drive the switch arm to closed circuit position, means actuated by the motor to return the switch arm to open circuit postion, and means to regulate the period of operation of the switch arm by which the pressing period is varied.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

HART A. STODDARD. 

